This invention relates to the provision of lightweight armored barrier panels and doors for use in airplanes and elsewhere. More particularly, it relates to the provision of a lightweight armored panel usable as a door in a wall between the cockpit of an airplane and the cabin region in the airplane immediately rearwardly of the cockpit.
There is a need for effectively preventing passenger intrusion into the cockpit of an airplane. Cockpit doors are needed that can withstand various attacks from ballistics, bladed weaponry and battering rams. These same doors must be lightweight enough to make them practical for airplane use. The principal object of the invention is to provide a laminated door panel that provides the protection needed without adding too much weight to the airplane.
Some airlines have proposed some desired requirements for armored cockpit doors. They include the following: (1) the door and frame should not exceed one hundred and sixty five pounds (165 lbs.) in weight, (2) the door panel must be able of withstanding several minutes of ramming by a three hundred pound (300 lb.) person and several minutes of pounding with a two pound (2 lb.) hammer, (3) the door panel must withstand a 9 mm xe2x80x9cNIJ 3 A type bulletxe2x80x9d and withstand a NATO M26 grenade at a distance of eight inches (8xe2x80x3); and (4) the door panel must be able to withstand repeated blows from an aircraft crash axe. Another object of the present invention is to meet or exceed these requirements.
The present invention includes constructing a composite door from layers in which different layers of different materials are used to protect against ballistic, bladed weaponry and battering ram attacks on the door.
The present invention includes providing a laminated panel having at least one layer of a relatively lightweight body material, at least one layer of bullet resistant composite material, and at least one layer of a mesh or mail material providing blade attack resistance. The layers are bonded together to provide a unified panel. The body material may be selected from the group of materials consisting of honeycomb materials, balsa wood and rigid foam materials. The ballistic layer may be selected from the group of materials consisting of woven Kevlar, Aramid, graphite, polyester, fiberglass or phenolic fiber cloth used with phenolic, epoxy or polyester resins, or as a draped material. The mesh or mail material may be selected from the group of materials consisting of corrosion resistant steel mesh, woven metallic mesh, perforated sheet metal and link-type mail. The bonding material may be a film adhesive material.
The invention includes incorporating the barrier panel into a door that is used in an airplane between the cockpit and the cabin region immediately rearwardly of the cockpit.
In one embodiment, a layer of mesh or mail material, providing blade attack resistance, is positioned between a layer of relatively lightweight body material and a. ballistic layer of bullet resistant composite material.
In another embodiment, a ballistic layer of bullet resistant composite is provided on each side of a layer of a mesh or mail material providing blade attack resistance. The layers of mesh or mail material may be outwardly bounded by layers of relatively lightweight body material.
A layer of a mesh or mail material that provides blade attack resistance may be positioned on each side of a ballistic layer of bullet resistant composite material. A layer of relatively lightweight body material may be positioned outwardly adjacent each layer of the mesh or mail material. Additional ballistic layers of bullet resistant composite material may be provided immediately outwardly adjacent each layer of relatively lightweight body material.
In another embodiment, a ballistic layer of bullet resistant and blade attack resistant composite is positioned between layers of relatively lightweight body material. This is meant to cover a composite material currently available that is both ax-resistant and bullet-resistant.
Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the description of the best mode set for below, from the drawings, from the claims and from the principles that are embodied in the specific structures that are illustrated and described.